Process for forming metallic articles



1955 A. VAN H AANDEL PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1949 INVENT OR EMMY ATTORNEYS 1955 A. VAN HAANDEL PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1949 IN VENT OR BY 2 V 4 WW1 A'rr i Jan 11, 1955 A m HAANDEL 2,698,951

PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 11, 1955 A VAN HAANDEL 2,698,951

PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 8 Shee "cs-Sheet 4 Jan. 11, 1955 A. VAN HAANDEL 2,698,951

. PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 a l 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 1 I l' 1 L, b I: 0

Jan. 11, 1955 A. VAN HAANDEL 2,698,951

PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 is Sheets-Sheet s Jan. 11, 1955 A. VAN HAANDEL 2,693,951

PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 FI6.I4

1955 A. VAN HAANDEL 2,698,951

PROCESS FOR, FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 as r United States Patent PROCESS FOR FORMING METALLIC ARTICLES Adrianus'van Haandel, Helmond, Netherlands, assignor,

by .rnesne assignments, to Nedschroef Octrooi Maat- 'schappij, N. V., Helmond, Netherlands, a' company Application "January 26, 1949, Serial No. 72,983

lClaims priority, application Netherlands May 15, 1948 11 Claims. (Cl.--86) This-invention relatesto a-systemr for producingidefinitely shaped metallic articles by pressure when their metalliczmass is plastic. More particularly, it deals with avnewmethod andapparatus for continuously'forming metallic articles, such as nuts, bolts, rivets, washers, sleeves, collars, and similar metal ring-shaped,.polygonal and otherarticles, frombar or strip stock which is heated until plastic, and-then forming the desiredarticles, under pressure indies, from slugs cutfrom such stock.

There are two generalmethods of soproducing such articlesgone is the cold method, which requires a large, complicated and heavy'machine performing many operations toform the desired article from strip or barstock whichiscold and not'very plastic; and theothei' is the hoti method, in which the stock or slug from-which the desired articleis formed, is heated tore'd heat so that it will be more plastic and can be formed and shaped in dies in fewer operations andby smaller machines which are not so complicated or heavy. Inboth methods the dies in the machines are subject to great wear; in the cold methodbecause of'therelatively small amount of plasticity of the metal being worked, and in the' hot' method becauseof the hard oxide and other scale which always forms'on the surface of the hot slugs being deformed in the dies. Accordingly, the dies must be replaced from time to tiinewhich isa material item of expense as well asa loss of time for operating the machine. Furthermore in the hot methodthe presenceofscale on the-finished article requires after treatment for its removal.

It is an object of this invention to produce anew,

efficient, economic, and effective hot method andappara tus forproducing such pressure formed metallic articles. 'Another object of this invention is to present-a method for producing articlesby the hot method inwhich the amount of undesirable scale on-the slugs to be deformed in the die or dies is materially reduced, thereby increasingthe lifeofthe dies as well as increasing the uniformity, toughness, strength, sharpness of the edges and smoothness' of the'final products, which as a result require fewer after treatment operations, such as polishing and the'like.

Another objectiof this inventionis to produce'a-method andapparatus which may use stock metal bars or' strips having cross-sectional tolerances ranging as great as one millimeterito produce uniformly sizedandclosely gauged products so that'the same gauge stock may be used for making both nutsand their-corresponding boltsif desired.

Another object is to'produce a comparativelylight and compact machine for carrying out this new method, which machine is easy to operate, does not consume much power, and may be operated more rapidly-than prior machines, thereby increasing the number 'of articles which may be produced'in' a given limit-of time.

Another object is to produce such'an apparatus which is-easily and. in many different ways adjustablezsothat it may be. adapted. readily for. theproduction of a large varietyof different shaped articles.

In accordance with this invention, the methodcomprises the new andadditional step or steps of removing the scale from the hot plastic metallic slugs before theyarepressed inthe. shaping or formingdie or dies. This is accomplished by pre-pressing or squeezing the hot slugs, after they have been cutfrom the bar or strip of stock,

between two surfaces toexpand the other and exposed. surfacesof the slugs to crack off the scale formed on them, andthen may also'includethe step'of permitting the: slugs. to drop of. their own .weight along a bentor crooked path to knock otliagainst the sides of said.path

any other scale which maybe-still clingingto the'slugs before the slugs are fed intothe formingdie or dies.

Thispre-pressing or squeezing: operation or step is preferably carried'out only to :a degree sufficient to crack and remove the scale on the slug and not to increase the dimensions ofthe. slug to such a degree :thatit will not easily fit into the forming and shaping die. Thus, no material is-cut from-the outside edges ofthe-squeezed slug by the die increasing the loss of material.

ficiently small dimensions so that the slugs may be deformed by" the squeezing operation sufficient to crackoif the scale, without becoming too fiat or big around to fitiIltO the first forming die. This squeezing operation, the degree of which maybe adjusted, permits the use of awidertolerance of starting stock or material,- in that the slug is, in effect, slightly reshaped to the" desired. dimensionsbefore-being placed in the finalshaping or forming dies.

The productionof' the desired articles may comprise a furnace or heater for the stock. to be; pressed into'the desired shape and a unitary machine orplurality of ma chines for. performing-one or 'rnore'or all of the'following operations:

(1) Feeding-the-stock from the furnace into a cutting.

machine,

('2) Means tocutslugs from said.hot:stock,.

(3) Means -to.-pre-press orisqueeze' the slugs to'remove.

the scale.

(4) A trough or chute, which is preferably not-straight, thlifllgh which the'squeezed slugs pass-to knockoff more sca e,

(5) Means to feed the'scale-free slugs to the shaping.

or forming die, ,and

(6) Means to press the. slugs in said die or dies to form the desired HIIICIGS WhICh in the case of nuts, for

example, may include-also means-to punch the center:

holes therein.

The above mentioned and other features-and objectsof this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference tothe following description of an embodimentof the invention taken in conjunction with.

the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig.1 is aside elevation with parts of the: driving wheels brokenaway of one embodiment of amachine' involving this invention as seen from .the furnace or hot stockfeeding side,

Fig. 21is a view of the right-end of the machine shown in Fig. 1, also showing a part of the furnace,

Fig. .3 is a schematic plan view partly in section of the machine in Figs. and 2 showing the different locations where the. operations are carried out for producing a ring-shaped article, such as-a hexagonal nut, from hot round bar stock,

Fig. 4 :is-a side elevation ofthe feeding mechanism taken:

along line IV-IV in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 -is an-end viewof the feeding mechanism taken along, line V-V in-Fig. 4',

Fig. dis a sideview of the cutting off mechanism, shown in its first-position, and-a part of the squeezing mechanism, takenalong line VI-VI in Fig. 3,

Fig. 7'is a plan view of the cuttingand squeezing mechanisms shown in the position of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 6 with themechanisms in their second position,

Fig. 9 is aplan view of'Fig. 8,

Fig.10 issimilarto Fig. 6 with the mechanisms in their third? position,

Fig. 11 is a plan view-of Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view, with unrelated parts omitted, of the squeezing'mechanism taken along lines XII-XII in Figs.land'3,

Fig. 13is a'schematic view of the die or press feeding mechanism, with unrelated parts omitted, taken along line XIII-XIII in'Figs. 1 and 3,

Fig. l4 is a'horizontalsectional view, with parts broken away, ofithenutforming and punching mechanisms intheir. first position,

This is: accomplished by cutting slugs-and using stock ofsuf-- Fig. is a front view of the hexagonal nut forming die shown in section in Fig. 14,

Fig. 16 is similar to Fig. 14 showing the mechanisms in their second position,

Fig. 17 is similar to Fig. 14 showing the mechanisms in their third position, which corresponds to the position taken along line XVIIXV1I in Fig. 13,

Fig. 18 is a vertical section through the center of the hole punching mechanism along line XVII1XVI1I shown in Fig. 17, and

Fig. 19 is similar to Fig. 14 showing the mechanisms in their fourth position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown the exterior of one compact machine for feeding, cutting, squeezing, and then shaping or forming nuts or similar articles from bar stock. The bar stock 20 is first heated in a furnace 21 (See Figs. 2, 3 and 4) to a temperature at which the metal in the bar becomes plastic, say red-hot, i. e. between about 900 and 1100 C. or at about 1000 C. The furnace 21 is shown mounted on wheels 22 which roll on a track 23, so that it may be easily moved away from the machine when it is necessary to make adjustments, change the dies to make other parts or articles, or repair the machine.

The red-hot bar stock 20 is intermittently drawn from the furnace 21 by the feeding mechanism (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) mounted on the machine and operated in synchronism therewith. This feeding mechanism is shown to comprise a pair of roughened grooved rollers 31 and 32 between the adjacent grooves of which the bar 20 is frictionally gripped so that when these rollers are rotated a fraction of a turn they will feed a predetermined length of the bar of stock into the machine until its end abuts against a retractable stop 33 (see Figs. 3, 4, 7, 9 and 11). The axial distance between the two feeding rollers 31 and 32 may be adjusted by means of the hand screw 34, and these rollers are intermittently driven through a mechanism 35 from cam shaft 36. As soon as the end of the hot bar 20 contacts the projecting abutment 33 (see Figs. 4 and 7), the hot bar is clamped into position against the stationary jaw 37 by a movable jaw 38, operated by cam 39 on shaft 36 (see Figs. 3 and 5).

When the end of the hot bar is firmly clamped, the cutting or shearing mechanism 40 operates to cut off the end of the hot bar between the jaws 37 and 38 and the abutment 33 to form a cylindrical slug 41 (see Figs. 10 and 11) which is simultaneously carried into position for being pre-pressed or squeezed to break off the scale on 1ts cylindrical surface which accumulated I while the bar from which it was cut was being heated in the furnace 21. This cutting mechanism 40 comprises a replaceable knife 42 the edge of which cooperates with the overhanging edge of the stationary jaw 37 to make a clean transverse cut through the bar 20 (see Fig. 9). As the cutting mechanism is moved to the right to cut off the slug 41, actuated by a cam 43 on the cam shaft 36, a pivoted jaw 44, pivotally mounted at 45 on the moving cutting mechanism, is urged into the position shown in Fig. 8 by spring 46 to hold the slug 41 against the face of the knife 42 while it is being cut off and transported into the position for being squeezed. The pivoted jaw 44 is held out of its clamping position in the first position shown in Figs. 6 and 7 against the action of the spring 46, by means of the roller 47 which rests against the stationary cam surface 48. Simultaneously with the motion of the cutting mechanism to the right, the abutment 33 is withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. 9 to its retracted position shown in Fig. 11 so that this abutment will not hinder the motion of mechanism 40. As soon as the slug 41 is moved into the position for being squeezed or pre-pressed shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the pre-pressing, upsetting or squeezing mechanism 50 is extended to clamp the slug 41 between its two freshly cut end surfaces and against stationary surface 51, so that when the cutting mechanism 40 is withdrawn to the left into the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the pivoted jaw 44 will pivot against the action of the spring 46 and slide over the top of the clamped slug 41.

The operation of the squeezing mechanism 50 can best be described in connection with Fig. 12 which is a vertical sectional view of the essential parts of this mechanism. The reciprocating motion of the mechanism 50 is effected by two parallel cams 60 and 61 mounted on cam shaft 63. Cam 61 is followed by a roller 64 mounted on an arm 65 pivoted at one end to the frame 66 of the machine at 67, and connected by a link 68 to the longitudinally adjustable squeezing mechanism 50. This mechanism comprises interthreaded cylindrical pieces 52 and 53 to adjust the length of the mechanism 50 which length is secured by a locknut 54. Piece 53 is connected to the replaceable pressing surface 55 by a hollow piece 56 inside of which is located a compression spring 57, the compression of which may be adjusted by the screw cap 58 and its lock-nut 59. The action of the mechanism 50 is so synchronized that only the compression of the spring 57 pushing between the pieces 53 and 56 holds the slug 41 between the surfaces 51 and 55 until the cutting mechanism 40 and its jaw 44 is withdrawn to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Then a change in the contour of the cam 60 presses the inner end of the piece 53 into contact with the shoulder provided therefor in the piece 56 and positively pushes the surface 55 to the right to squeeze the hot slug 41 a given amount, predetermined by the adjustment of the relative position of the interthreaded pieces 52 and 53. The result in the particular apparatus disclosed, is that the slug 41 is flattened to form a thick disc 41 (see Figs. 6 and 7), but the disc is not flattened to the extent that it will not easily fit into the forming die described later. This operation takes place when the cutting mechanism 40 is in its first position ready to receive the next portion from the end of the bar stock 20. The pre-pressing or squeezing of the slug 41 into the disc 41' materially expands the free outer surfaces of the slug 41 so that the oxide and scale which does not have the same coefficient of expansion as that of the metal in the slug or is not so plastic, will crack away from the deformed metal at the surface junction between it and the scale, and the scale will thus fall off through the passageway 69 provided therefor in the machine frame (see Fig. 12). Since the two end surfaces of the slug 41 have just been freshly cut from the hot stock 20, they contain substantially no oxide or scale because they were not exposed in the furnace 21. Therefore these two opposite clean surfaces of the slug 41 can be contacted between the parallel squeezing surfaces 51 and 55, in that they need not be deformed for the removal of scale. Thus, only the scale coated surfaces of the slug 41 are deformed and the resulting disc 41 is substantially free from scale on all of its surfaces.

The squeezing mechanism 50 is withdrawn by the action of cam 61 against its follower 70 mounted on lever 71 pivoted to the arm 65 at 72. The cam follower 70 is adjustably held into contact with the cam 61 by spring 73 located in the sleeve 74 threaded in the end of lever 71 opposite from that end which supports the cam follower 70. Thus, the pulling of the mechanism 50 to the left, through its slide bearings mounted in aligned projections 75 and 76 on the frame 66, causes the shoulder 77 on piece 53 to engage the inside of the threaded cap 58 and Withdraw the surface 55 into the position shown in Figs. 9 and 12, so that the disc 41' is free to fall by its own weight on to the curved, crooked, or bent chute to be conducted and guided under the pull of gravity on its own weight to the next part of the machine. This next part herein is located at right-angles to those parts already described and has the added advantage of making the machine as a whole more compact. The trough or chute 80 down which the disc 41 slides and rolls is provided with a slot 81, or other shaped apertures, to permit any more scale which is knocked 0135 of the disc 41 to drop through into passageway 69 and not clog the chute 80. Also the slight drop of the disc 41' from its squeezed position between surfaces 51 and 55 to the chute 80 aids in jarring lose any scale which has not fallen off during the squeezing operation.

Before continuing with the description and after the description of the details of the adjustability of the prepressing mechanism, it should be noted that the operation of the retractable abutment 33 may also be operated and be adjustable in a similar manner to that disclosed for the mechanism 50 and may also be controlled by an additional cam follower 78 mounted against the cam 61 (see Fig. 3) in another angular position than that of the cam follower 70, in that the abutment 33 is ama eur TF extended whenzrthezmeehanisnr ifl islretractedzfand vice vensa.

frherremaininggrpare :of this description is diret'ed'* to the shaping and forming mechanism to produce atsmooth sharp-ed gedi scalefree nut bla'nk which needs substantially only the after treatment of being"internally threaded. Any known hot method of forming a nut orsimilar article from such a discrmay be 'employed withoutndeparting from-5 the scope of -this invention, in that" the disc is 1 still hot and-comparatively plasticand if it is operated upon immediatelygsubstantiallyanoz. scale vor oxides will have time 'to' form againnon its surfa'ces before entering the shaping- 'die-or dies. Therefore, referringto Fig. 13 thererisrshowm in vertical section a schematic view of a die feeding' niechanisni '90which. may be oper'ated-by a cam 91 mounted"on 'canr 'shaft 63 and followed by a camfollower 92 mounted:on -lever 93 pivoted to the machine frame 66 at 94 and connected by a link 95 to a crank having leven=arrns '96 and 97 journalled= in frame GE -and 98. The motion of 'these leversthrough the means' ofs t 100-in'-'lever-'97 and pin- 101 fiXedto the mechanism -M- and movable in slot 100, reciprocatesthe mechanism 90. Thecamfollower 92 may be maintained against-"the surface of the cam 9l by means of springs 1'02. connected between the levers and the frame.

ln 'the 'particular' die or pressfeeding mechanism- 90 shownpthere are provided two pushing fingers 103 and 104 to'succes'sively move the disc into-two adjacentforming and finishing 'die" positions. Both fin'gers' '103=-and 104 arefixed to ahorizontally sliding head 105; and the firstfingerispivotallymounted at 106 on a-rigid extension l07-and-maintained imposition by a spring' 1'08. This first finger 103- is thus resiliently mounted so. that it may give' way 'easily'to'the motiorr'of the outer edge of the i pressing die' which-removes "theidisc 4l' from the finger and-'pu'shes' it' into the-die; which dieis of larger inside diameter than the outside diameter of the disc 41"carired by the finger; so that the disc- 41' a will fi't' into the'counteresunk' portion of the dielas previously stated. Theend of thechute*80 is-so designed that only one di'se 41- at atime-maywdrop onto'the' first leading" finger 103 ai1dwhen this fijn'gerismov'ed to the left it-closes 'the lower open end of the chute 80 to prevent other discs from falling out. From the position-shown in' Fig. 13, which may correspond to 1 the last of the preceeding disc forming-operations as'showninFigs. 17 or 19j-the hot dise '41" to be shaped is "moved by the mechanism" 90 supported by' finger 103 into-- the first position shown in Fig. 14 'whereinthe disc-""41'-is'-placed' in=front 'ofthe opening-1 11 in the counter-sunk or concave portion of the nut forming or shaping mechanism 110. Therecip'rocating andprojecting portion 112 of this die 'mechanism 110 'comprises aheavycross-head 114which is-reeiprocated'horizontallyby a connecting link 115 between iti'andcrank shaft 116 (see Fig; 3) which in the present machine is the main and primarily driven shaft.

This'shafF16--'may be 'driven through speed reduction gears- 11'? and '1'18' anda safety clutch'mechanism 1-19 (-se'eFig." 1); and may-be'dire'ctly connected through 1b'ev eledgear's'f12tland 121 tothe'cam shaft 63, and this cam shaft -maybethen connected in turn through beveled gearsdzl and 122 tothecamshaft 36, and this cam shaft 36 through-mechanism to-the feeding mechanism; sothat'alI theoperations of the machine are in synchronism with each other andonly a' single source of drivingenergy-isrequired. -On the shaft 124 of the 'reduetiongear 118'there may-be provided a fiy-wheel 125 to"add'im'ertia totheoperation of the machine and partieula'rly' the shaping mechanism 110. Any suitable power source=-rneans "may be employed for driving the machine-such as an electric motor,-which may be geared to the drive shaft '124' orlconnected to" the periphery of theHy Wheel-IZS.

Referring now specifially to Fig. 14, the 'disc '41. in fittint of Lthe concave die 111: is now 'pu'shed' from the fi'ngeri103f into the: die 1 11: by theforward movement of the-:die portion 112. Continued pressureoni the disc in theidie by the projectingportion 1 12 pushesthe ejector pinl l30= back into its retracted position, and then the plasticilmetal'inthe hot disc- 41' is pressed against'the walls='of the die to formthe-outside configuration of a hexagonal nut (see Fig; 15)"as-'well:as a partly pushed hole throughdtscenter bymeans of pin 131 :of the projecting movable die portion 112;"as *shown" in Fig; 16. The first'r-s'ha'ping dies lll and in -have now completed their part bf forming: a: nutrfromi the? disc 41 and tare withdrawn so that the feeding mechanism may be -retracted iagainxinto. the positiontashown in Figs; 13: and 17 and the:upwardly extending portion of the-sfinger l M will not collide. withiithecportion 1F12 of Sithe' die. l heuresuiting nut-shaped piece 132 is then pushed from the die by means :of' the :pin .130', which: may tbe operatedby a cam- 1$3:mounted=.on cam shaft 36. As thepie'ce 132 iszremoved from lthe die '111 it isplaced onto the second fe'edingfinger 104 'whichis new -in' the :positionshowrrin Figs. 17: and 19 -and: simultaneously a cooling fluid,=-such as water, may be forcedout throughthe liolesi154- in ejector. v.130 (see Fig. d4) to cool the inside of the I die 1 11. This cooling'liquid may be introduced 'into' 'the duct 1 134. through port 135 J in'the l side of its sliding =operatingfimember136'when this port is opposite an align'ed port inthe frame- 66 of the machine, which 'occurs 'o'nly when the member 136 is in its exten'ded position asshown in Figs. 14 and 19. Thereby, the member 136 with its port 135 acts as a valve for-controlling when -the water is toi be injected into the die for coolingand washing out the die 111.

From the position' shownin Fig. 19-while the press mechanism 114 'is retracted, the feeding mechanismis again operatedsothatfthe finger '104 moves*the-- piece 132 into alignment with the punching-mechanism 140, which alsomay be mounted at theendof the member 114 and :operated at the-same time as the first dieforming 1 mechanism. -This "punching mechanism completes the h0le through" the eenter of the piece) 132 by sizing the hole and punching out the remaining"button- 141 against the die' 142,"sothat the-button falls-down through passage Way-143 and the-completed nut .blank--144-is pulled-"off the punch '140 I byfi the' stationary "apertur'ed plate-'145 (see"Figs. 16, 17 and 18) as the' punch is-retractedg andthen' falls into another passage 146 for-collection'and-later finishing, such as threading. Since 'both fingers -103- and 104. are connected to -the same-feeding mechanism"90,.they are operated together so that when one=disc is*- being'fed to'the shapingl-die 1 11; the disc which. has just been-shaped-therein isbeing fed to the punching mechanism 140. If .the completely formednut blank 144 happens to rest on the retracting finger-104 when itispulled oif thepunch byplate 145, it will" be pushed'ofi the' =finger104 by the following piece-l 32'when it is pushed out of the'die 1'11'-by the ejecting-mechanism 130,so'that the completed nut will-fall in: the-desired passage or hopper- With the other completed .nuts.

Although'theforegoing description has-been limited to a-specific apparatus for the" continuous production'ofnuts by'the hot method from bar stock, it is within the scope ofthis invention to change the dies and adjustments of the'machine disclosed to produce other forms iofnuts, such as castle-nuts,square-nuts, round-headed nuts, etc., rivets,'-bolts, washers, and other similar types of metallic articles from heated bar orstrip stock, which stock may befedthrouglr the furnace either in cut lengths or from a reel. Also, the number of formation operations'may be changedahdthe mechanisms for-performingthe different operations maybe divided between two or more differentmachines as' desired, without departing from'the steps of the process of this invention. However, the'particular-combination of-' operations into one-machine 'as herein described has'material' advantages as to compactness, efficiency, -'adaptability and synchronization of "the movements. Furthermore the compactness'and 'speed' at which the disclosed unitary machine can operate-permits a"lowertemperature tobe used in the furnace to maintain suflicientheat in-the slugs to .last u'ntilrthey :are shaped, which'is an additional. advantage in the saving of heatenergy input in the process.

' The'trough -orv chute means. 80 for eonveyingthe squeezed scale-freeslugs to .the forming press ordie may be made lof screen wire or may-be provided with other types of holes, instead of the-slot 81, for permitting the scalev to fall. through it, and its bend may take other forms than that of merely 90 as shown, without departingsfrom the scope of this invention. It is desirable,- however, that this chute is not straight in that its use inknockingttne edges of the discs 41' as they fall down along it toremove scale would b'e lessened.

Whilertheretis' describedabove the principles-of this inve'ntion in connection with specific apparatus, it is; to be clearly understood that -this description is ma'de o'nly by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention.

The apparatus and machine previously claimed in this application are now claimed in the applicants divisional application Ser. No. 252,097, filed September 27, 1951.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing metallic articles from hot slugs having freshly-cut scale-free ends but having on their peripheral surface scale formed on them while being heated, and shaping said articles from said slugs under pressure while hot in a die, the steps comprising: prepressing each of said slugs endwise while holding them by their freshly-cut scale-free ends With their peripheral surfaces unconfined for descaling to bulge the slugs and crack said scale on their peripheral surfaces, knocking off and separating the scale cracked from said surfaces from said slugs, transferring each substantially scale-free slug into said die, and then pressing each of the scale-free slugs in said die.

2. A process for producing under pressure in a die definitely shaped metallic articles from a bar of hot metal stock, comprising the steps of: cutting slugs from one end of said hot metal bar which are substantially equal in weight to the final articles to produce slugs having freshlycut scale-free ends, immediately squeezing said slugs between their freshly-cut scale-free ends with their sides unconfined for descaling to bulge their sides to crack and loosen the scale formed thereon during the heating of said bar, transferring the bulged substantially scale-free slugs into said die, and pressing said scale-free slugs in said die to form said articles.

3. A process for producing under pressure in a die definitely shaped metallic articles from a bar of hot metal stock, comprising the steps of: cutting successive slugs from one end of said hot bar to produce slugs having freshly-cut scale-free ends, immediately squeezing said slugs between their freshly-cut scale-free ends with their sides unconfined for descaling to bulge their sides to crack and loosen the scale thereon, permitting the squeezed slugs to fall freely into and roll down a bent path to knock off any remaining scale, and then pressing said scale-free slugs successively in said die to form said articles.

4. A process for producing machine nuts from bar stock comprising: heating said stock to red heat, successively cutting slugs from one end of said hot stock to provide slugs having freshly-cut scale-free ends, immediately as said slugs are cut from the bar stock squeezing them between their freshly cut scale-free ends with their sides unconfined for descaling to bulge their sides and crack and loosen the scale thereon formed while the bar of stock was being heated, immediately thereafter dropping and then guiding the squeezed slugs freely along a crooked path to knock off any remaining scale, transferring the resulting scale-free slugs in succession into a forming die, pressing said scale-free slugs in said die to form the outside of said nuts, and then punching the holes through the centers of the formed slugs.

5. In the manufacture of definitely shaped metallic articles from bar metal stock in which metal bars are heated to a red heat plastic state in a heating zone and acquire a surface coating of hard oxide scale, the successive steps comprising feeding a hot metal bar endwise horizontally from said heating zone by means of a pair of feed rolls in which the bar is held, operating the feed rolls to advance one end of the bar endwise horizontally to a slug cutting station, successively cutting slugs from the advanced end of the hot metal bar to produce plastic metal slugs having hard scale on their peripheral surfaces and freshly cut scale-free ends, transferring each slug directly to a descaling station as it is cut from the end of the bar while maintaining its axis horizontal, immediately squeezing each slug at the descaling station while maintaining its axis horizontal and its peripheral surface free for descaling, the squeezing of each slug being effected by applying pressure to its opposite freshly-cut scale-free ends sufficient to bulge the peripheral surface of the slug and thereby crack-off the scale from said surface, thereafter transferring the scale-free hot plastic metal slug into a die cavity, and pressing the slug in the die cavity to form a definitely shaped metallic article.

6. In the manufacture of definitely shaped metallic articles from bar metal stock in which metal bars are heated to red heat in a heating zone and acquire a surface coating of oxide scale, the successive steps comprising feeding a hot metal bar endwise from said heating zone by means of a pair of feed rolls having grooves facing each other and engaging the bar, operating the feed rolls to advance one end of the bar to a slug cutting station, gripping the bar adjacent to the end part to be cut-off and cutting a slug from the end of the hot metal bar to produce slugs having freshly cut scale-free end faces, moving each slug at an angle to the axis of the bar as the slug is cut from the end of the bar, the cut slug being moved directly to a descaling station, immediately squeezing each slug at the descaling station by applying pressure laterally to its freshly-cut scale-free end faces sufficient to bulge the peripheral surface of the slug and thereby crack-off the scale from said surface, said slug being held solely by said applied pressure during the scale-cracking operation, immediately transferring the scale-free hot slug into a die, and pressing the slug in the die to form a definitely shaped metallic article.

7. In the manufacture of nuts having a predetermined shape from bar metal stock in which a metal bar is heated to a red heat plastic state and acquires a coating of hard scale, the successive steps comprising feeding the hot metal bar to advance one end thereof to a blank cutting station, successively cutting blanks of predetermined length from the advanced end of the hot metal bar to produce plastic metal blanks having freshly cut scale-free end faces and hard scale on their peripheral surfaces, transferring each blank as it is cut from the end of the bar to a blank squeezing station, squeezing each blank at said station by applying pressure to its freshly-cut scale free end faces sufficient to bulge the peripheral surface of the blank to crack off the scale therefrom and reduce it to a thick ness approximating that of the nut to be formed therefrom, maintaining the peripheral surface of the blank free for descaling during the squeezing operation, transferring the scale-free blank while hot and plastic from said station into a polygonal die, applying pressure to the end faces of the blank in the die to shape the end faces of the blank and simultaneously piercing the blank axially from one end face thereby forcing the plastic metal of the blank to assume the shape of the die and providing a pierced hole pletely therethrough, removing the pierced blank from the die, and immediately thereafter cutting an axial hole of desired size through the blank.

8. The manufacture of definitely shaped metallic articles as claimed in claim 6, in which the bulged slug at the descaling station is dropped onto a hard surface and rolled down an inclined surface to complete the removal of scale from its peripheral surface prior to transfer into the die, whereby appreciable erosion of the die by scale is prevented.

9. In the manufacture of definitely-shaped metallic articles from bar metal stock in which round metal bars are heated to red heat in a heating zone and acquire a surface coating of oxide scale, the rapidly successive steps comprising feeding a hot round metal bar horizontally endwise from said heating zone to advance one end of the bar to a slug cutting station, cutting slugs of predetermined length from said one end of the hot metal bar to produce slugs having freshly-cut scale-free end faces, moving each slug from the slug cutting station with its axis horizontal as the slugs are cut from said end of the bar directly to a descaling station, immediately squeezing each slug at the descaling station by applying pressure to its freshly-cut scale-free end faces sufficient to bulge the peripheral surface of the slug and thereby crack-off the scale from said surface, supporting said slug during said squeezing and bulging operation solely by the pressure applied to its freshly-cut scale-free end faces to leave its periphery free for the scale to crack off, releasing the resulting bulged slug at the descaling station, transferring the released scale-free hot slug into a forming die, and pressing the slug in the forming die to form a definitelyshaped metallic article.

10. A process for producing definitely shaped metallic articles from hot plastic metal slugs having two freshly-cut scale-free opposite sides which are shaped under pressure in a die cavity, comprising: separately squeezing said slugs at said freshly-cut scale-free opposite sides with their scale covered surface unconfined for descaling to bulge the slugs to a breadth less than that of said die cavity and crack off scale from said slugs, freely guiding said squeezed slugs downwardly along a definite path under their own weight to knock ofif any remaining scale, transferring the resulting scale-free slugs in succession into the die cavity, and

9 then pressing said scale-free slugs in said die cavity to References Cited in the file of this patent Said articles- UNITED STATES PATENTS 11. In the manufacture of definitely shaped metallic articles from bar metal stock, the successive steps of heat- 261,022 Morgan July 11, 1882 ing the bar stock to a red hot plastic state, successively cut- 5 301,433 Clark July 1, 1884 ting slugs from an end of the hot metal bar to produce 837,435 Truebe Dec. 4, 1906 slugs having freshly cut scale-free ends with scale on their 1,417,806 Lapotterie May 30, 1922 peripheral surfaces, squeezing each slug immediately after 1,636,955 Golding July 26, 1927 it is cut from the bar while leaving its peripheral surface 1,693,664 Petitjean Dec. 4, 1928 free for the scale to crack off by applying pressure to its 10 1,709,111 Black Apr. 16, 1929 opposite freshly-cut scale-free ends suflicient to bulge the 1,755,325 Kinney Apr. 22, 1930 peripheral surface of the slug and thereby crack-off the 1,815,107 Lamond July 21, 1931 scale from said surface, thereafter transferring the scale- 1,832,168 Wilcox Nov. 17, 1931 free hot slug into a die, and pressing the slug in the die 2,077,519 Apr. 20, 1937 to form a definitely shaped metallic article. 16 2,338,652 Lefere Jan. 4, 1944 

